Mercenaries
Mercenaries are powerful troops available to any faction. During the Prepare for War! phase of the round, you can swap any one of your currently selected troops to be replaced by a Mercenary. You can do this only once per round, however, so be careful when making your choices, as they will persist through the next rounds as well. Mercenaries are all unique, and in the right situation they can prove very effective. Knowing each Mercenary can give you the edge, or even help you retaliate when your opponent has earned the advantage. Here you will find the tips and tricks you need to confidently bring these troops into battle. Mercenaries can prove to be extremely useful allies on the tabletop. Each Mercenary is unique and can be drafted to replace an existing troop in the Prepare For War phase of each round. All factions are able to swap a troop for a Mercenary during this phase. Bomber Bombers '''are fanatic troops, itching for their opportunity to deliver explosive payloads straight to your enemy's front door. '''Bombers are the default Mercenary choice during a game, and are generally the troop that gets swapped away when a god chooses a different Mercenary. Many players prefer this Mercenary over others, as they offer the most direct way to damage enemy Strongholds, '''and can prove an excellent way to finish off a '''Stronghold later in the game. When deployed, Bombers will charge forward, ignoring all combat that surrounds them. Their only objective is to deliver their big bomb to a nearby enemy Stronghold, and they will never stop unless defeated. Fast, dedicated, and sneaky as they are, Bombers are nearly useless when alone, as a single ranged troop will easily stop them before reaching their goal. Likewise, defensive towers such as the Lightning Tower or a defensive Lightning Trap may prove frustrating as your Bombers are zapped away just before reaching their target. It's always best to try to sneak in your Bombers under the cover of combat. Send in your allies first, and have the Bomber slip in while other troops are engaged in combat. Witch The Witch's attack applies a damage-over-time effect to a group of enemies each time she throws her curses. Any enemy unit that is affected by the Witch's Curse will also suffer a reduction to their attack and movement speed, a great advantage when it is constantly applied. She is particularly unique because she can fly, allowing her to ignore boundaries set by the board's terrain. This makes her effective at dealing with those pesky Necromancers when they start summoning their hordes in the enemy's back line, where they are normally out of reach. She is able to wear down enemies before they even get to your controlled zones. Be careful, though, as a few volleys from Flesh Lobbers or Archers are enough to bring her down. On the other hand, her flight makes her invulnerable to melee troops and she is able to harass them with abandon. A single Witch can do a lot of damage to large groups of light enemies like Knights or Skeletons over time. When there are no enemies to attack, the Witch will return to a nearby friendly Stronghold where she will patiently wait for a new target to attack. This behaviour can make her easy to counter. If the only enemy troop on the table is a ranged unit, the Witch will move to attack it, allowing the enemy to shoot her down before she can make any more attacks. War Cleric War Clerics are devout followers of you: their god. Unique from all other troops, War Clerics are the only troop that will heal allies rather than damage enemies. Clerics will level up by healing allies and will level up quite quickly if used efficiently. War Clerics '''are peaceful troops, and will never push forward without an ally to aid. When all five of your '''War Clerics '''are on the table, they have to ability to heal through a lot of damage, especially after they level up. In fact, '''War Clerics '''can do enough healing to preserve troops through the '''Dark Shroud's damage over time. War Clerics are best used with larger troops who can soak up plenty of damage. Hulks, Giants, '''and '''Behemoths are menacing troops who attract attacks. When you can effectively heal troops like these it may help make your pushes extra effective as you extend the life of not just large troops, but all other troops who avoid damage as they hide behind your big troops. War Clerics '''also do well when paired with troops who don't move around too much. The '''Necromancer, who periodically stops to summon more minions, makes an excellent pair with your Clerics as it naturally takes a position behind the rest of your troops to summon more minions to battle. Keeping the Necromancer alive with War Clerics may allow you to completely push or defend a lane as you work other angles elsewhere. Likewise, Flesh Lobbers benefit from War Clerics as well, as their natural constitution means they can soak up a surprising amount of damage when also being healed. A tactfully placed''' unit of '''Lobbers can put a lot of pressure on the enemy, and some healing will have your opponent scrambling to dish out enough damage to stop them. The Champion is particularly useful with War Clerics as their deflective shield will protect them from ranged projectile attacks. That means your Clerics can do enough healing to your Champion that they may extend its life indefinitely, as their only threat comes from melee attacks and powerful spells. The aggressive nature of the Champion '''combined with the healing powers of a band of '''Clerics cannot be ignored, and will force your opponent to focus their attention on them, at least briefly, to stop your crusade. Ice Golem Ice Golems are stalwart mercenaries. Nearly completely defensive in nature, this Mercenary will stand in place to fight for you, all while melting away under the hot sun. Ice Golems are the only sentry who does not fire ranged projectiles. Instead, the Ice Golem will send his icy power in a straight line away from him, damaging and slowing and enemies caught in the attack. Likewise, the Golem will project and area of effect around themselves as well as at the end of their linear attack, in which all enemy troops will suffer a slowing effect to their movement and attack speeds. The Ice Golem is a particularly useful ally when defending against large hordes of enemies, such as what you might expect when playing against The Undead. Their abilities not only slow opponents, but also deal slight damage over time, meaning that massive waves of enemy troops can fall victim to the Ice Golem's attacks. Be careful, though, as Ice Golems are made completely out of ice, and will slowly melt away, taking constant damage over time until their health reaches zero. Pairing this ally with War Clerics '''in the second or third round can prove effective against stronger hordes of enemies, at the price of swapping away one of the your faction's troop choices. '''Undying Horror The Undying Horror is a gigantic insectoid creature. It creeps quietly through the air at a slow, menacing pace. As it reaches its target, it releases a bombard of offensive, glowing spittle. Those who find themselves too close to the Horror's target will fall victim to its literal splash of nasty phlegm. The Undying Horror is the most relentless Troop yet. When the Horror has been defeated, it will not perish. Instead, it will retreat to the safety of its cocoon. If the Horror spends enough time in its cocoon, it will be reborn with all of its health, ready to fight again.